Public Works Committee

TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING October 20, 2022 Page 1 CONVENE: 8:00 a.m. PRESENT: Chair Eileen Swarthout and Councilmember Michael Althauser. Excused: Councilmember Charlie Schneider. Staff: Water Resources & Sustainability Director Dan Smith, Administrative Assistant Cathy Nielsen, and Department Assistant II Bonnie Hale. Others: Meridith Greer, Greer Environmental Consulting. CHANGES TO There were no changes to the agenda. AGENDA: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 6, 2022: MOTION: Councilmember Althauser moved, seconded by Chair Swarthout, to approve the minutes of the October 6, 2022 Public Works Committee meeting as published. A voice vote approved the motion. DEPARTMENT OF Director Smith reported the proposal involves continuation of a project to ECOLOGY GRANT complete the Deschutes River Flood Reduction Study. The proposal is the second AGREEMENT OTGP agreement to launch the project. He introduced Meridith Greer with Greer -2022-TUMWAT- Environmental Consulting to provide details on the agreement. 00102: Ms. Greer reported the proposal is a grant agreement with the Department of Ecology. The project will study flooding and erosion on the Deschutes River between Henderson Boulevard and the Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. The area experiences extensive flooding with a number of emergencies declared because of flooding along the Deschutes River. Last year, extensive flooding was experienced at Tumwater Valley Golf Course, Pioneer Park, and at the brewery. The study will help gain a better understanding of flooding and erosion risks within the study area through a three-step process of modeling current flooding and erosion risks within the study area, identifying potential mitigation opportunities to reduce flooding risks, and determining whether flooding conditions might change if mitigation measures were implemented. The project is partially funded by the Department of Ecology in the amount of $250,000 through a legislative budget proviso effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The City’s Storm Drain Fund is contributing 16.7% ($75,000) towards the cost of the project. The City is working with Stantec to complete the study. TUMWATER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING October 20, 2022 Page 2 Ms. Greer reported that since the last update, all field studies have been completed for the project, as well as meetings with a number of stakeholders and the Department of Ecology. The team has worked on identifying potential mitigation sites. The first is located at the old brewery site near E Street of a large area covered by pavement, which could provide an opportunity to reconnect some floodplain and enable the area to store more water during high flow events. Another site is an area near a walking trail surrounded by wetlands and streams in the Tumwater Valley that could serve as connectivity by removing the walking trail and restoring the wetland to serve as an off-storage channel during high flow events as well as for habitat improvements. The last sites are located upstream of Henderson Boulevard involving a number of sites in riparian areas. More work is required to determine which mitigation sites would be the most effective. Following the modeling exercise, the next step is to identify the extent of flooding if some of the alternatives were employed with stakeholder outreach to ensure any alternatives are acceptable to stakeholders who might be affected. Chair Swarthout asked about the project scheduling following acceptance of the grant agreement with the Department of Ecology. Ms. Greer advised that once the agreement is negotiated, all efforts completed to date will be backdated to the effective date as the grant will expire on June 30, 2023 with ongoing work over the next eight months focused on completing flood modeling, identifying mitigation properties, and completing conceptual designs for three mitigation opportunities. A full study with costs and permits required for any mitigation would be completed by June 2023 with a presentation to the committee on study findings determining next steps moving forward. MOTION: Councilmember Althauser moved, seconded by Chair Swarthout, to recommend the City Council approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the Department of Ecology Grant Agreement OTGP -2022-Tumwat-00102 for the Deschutes River Flood Reduction Study. A voice vote approved the motion. ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Chair Swarthout adjourned the meeting at 8:09 a.m. Prepared by Valerie Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net